Jalpaiguri: In a grim reminder of the Ambikesh Mahapatra incident, a youth of Malbazar in Jalpaiguri district was today detained by the police for criticising a Trinamool Congress councillor in a Facebook post.
Rohit Pashi, the youth, was detained at Mal police station after TMC councillor Pulin Goldar complained to the police that the youth had wrote that that he had links with criminals.
District Superintendent of Police Akash Meghariya said Pashi was detained and ordered to execute a bond under Section 107 of the CrPC as the police had information that he might create trouble.
The Section 107 of the CrPC is executed to prevent someone from committing breach of the peace or disturb public tranquillity.
The incident created a political war of words between the ruling TMC and the opposition CPI(M).
“The incident of cartoon-arrest repeats itself.
#RohitPashi arrested for speaking against d autocratic CM!! Its a complete reign of terror!!!” CPI(M) state secretary Surjyakanta Mishra tweeted.
It was, however, denied by TMC.
“Some local channels distorting news without checking facts. Deliberate distortion? No one has been arrested in Malbazar for a Facebook post,” TMC national spokesperson Derek O’Brien said in a statement.
The incident brought back memories of the arrest of Jadavpur university professor Ambikesh Mahapatra who was arrested in 2012 for circulating a cartoon of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on internet.